Private Death Makes Cowards

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah was unsure of what hurt more, his pride or his body. He knew his approach had been foolish, but the sense of darkness, and the artifact which had been in the governor’s manor on Echnos, had pulled him in. The Shadow had always been drawn to his mission like a moth to a flame. His mind still questioned why Echnos City. Perhaps the Sith had deceived them and laid a trap, but Judah found no reason for them to take the city once they had arrived.

The device had been for them, at the cost of the citizens. Perhaps that was reason enough to try and drive the Sith from the place, but that was likely the only justification that could be made for Echnos in his mind. It was a stretch. The shipyards made sense. Maybe the military just wanted all Sith influence gone. Their plan, however, allowed the Sith to use the citizens of the city as a shield and weapon.

In that regard they had failed.

Judah had failed.

He winced, shifting in the bed which he was confined to for the moment. His legs were still weak from spending the better part of the past week in the bacta tank. Judah wanted to get up, run, walk the observation deck of the ship, anything which would get him out of the stale room of the medbay. Cambria was on the ship, and he wanted to find her. It was odd the perspective of almost dying brought. Judah knew he had come as close to death as he had ever been. Certain relationships mattered. There were people in his life that mattered.

The Jedi and his partner had certain things which remained unspoken between them. Judah did not care if they remained as they were until either of them took their final breath, but he was no longer content remaining quiet. He did not want a silent understanding with his companion. It was time they put everything on the table.

They would find each other when they were ready. For the moment, there was another person he needed to talk to. Valery Noble needed to know what happened on Echnos City, and not from the after action reports. She needed to hear his account. Judah had questions for her as well. The war they had started with the Sith was not going to be the kind of war Judah thought it would be. His interaction with the empress made that clear.

These Sith were dangerous. They were not the religious zealots bent on galactic domination as the Brotherhood of the Maw had been. These were not the remnants of that and the New Imperial Order which had been brought together under the Dark Empire. This group of Sith had made the war personal. At least the empress had. This was not the kind of war anyone could prepare for. Valery needed to know what they were facing. She need to know, if she did not already, that they blamed her.

This wasn’t a war against the Galactic Alliance, as much as it was a war against the Jedi.

There was another issue they needed to discuss, and it was not business. It was more personal. They were friends after all, and he had almost died. It was not something they could ignore. He was going to be okay, but he was going to need time to heal. As a friend Judah had a favor to ask of her. Which was why he paged her when he woke up. With war coming, Judah needed to make sure his life, and his affairs were in order.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stood outside the medbay, her expression a blend of relief and concern. The message she received from Judah had brought her rushing to his side, thoughts racing as she tried to piece together what had happened at Echnos City. She already knew it was bad, but the details were still blurry.

Taking a deep breath, she tapped the door control and stepped inside.

"Judah," Valery greeted softly, offering him a warm smile as she approached his bedside. Seeing him conscious was already a relief, but the signs of the battle still clung to him. Bruises, lingering weakness, and a somber look in his eyes. He had been through something truly harrowing.

If he wasn't still recovering, she might have punched him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice a soothing calm amidst the medbay's clinical atmosphere. "I'm glad you're awake and on the mend." She took a seat beside him, letting him see that he had her full attention.

"I know you wanted to talk, and I want to hear everything." Her gaze softened further, and she added, "But first, as a friend… I just want to make sure you're really okay first." There was a gentleness to her tone, an unspoken acknowledgment that his brush with death hadn't gone unnoticed. He was more than just a fellow Jedi to her — he was a friend, someone she truly cared about.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

His attention turned to the Jedi Master as she walked into the room. Her greeting was soft, but her countenance was enough to let him know the only reason he was not in any more trouble was because of his injuries. It was the way their friendship worked. Before leaving, the two of them had discussed this, they needed to come back alive, in one piece. Judah did not. He came back in pieces. Even his mind was somewhat fractured, though each day it mended itself. It would heal much slower than his arm would, but it he was getting better.

How was he?

Judah raised his arm, the partial one, and smirked.

“Broken.”

His reply was truthful and without a lot of emotion. Normally he would make some kind of joke. Judah supposed this was the closest he could come to it. The tone of his voice made the remark seem as though he was being serious for once. Perhaps he was.

Judah simply nodded at the request. Valery wanted to set business to the side for now, but it was the one thing Judah knew would keep him going. He had been here before, lost this arm before, and the Shadow did not want to dwell on what his feelings were about the issue. It happened because he had been reckless. There was nothing about that story which was new or worth discussing.

“I will be fine,” he answered with a nod. It was a promise more than it was a statement about his current condition. He was avoiding the question. Would Valery call him out on it? “The others Connel found me with, are they okay?”

Always looking to others above himself, it was the reason Judah would not be the one who got to die peacefully in his bed.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's expression softened further when Judah raised his arm and responded with a single word — Broken. His voice had no humor despite the smirk, no effort to mask his pain or exhaustion. Just the truth, laid bare between them.

She nodded, acknowledging his state with a look of understanding, and then leaned in slightly. "You'll be fine, Judah," she assured him gently, echoing his words, but there was a firmness in her voice. A promise that things would get better, even if it felt impossible right now.

As for his question, Valery took a moment to consider her words. "The others…" She paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "They're all going to be okay. A few injuries here and there, and some of them are still in recovery, but nothing life-threatening. They were lucky, just like you." She let her gaze drop for a moment, a flicker of relief crossing her face.

Was luck really the right word, all things considered?

Valery's gaze shifted back up to his, locking onto his eyes, "Now it's time to focus on yourself, too. Let others support you while you recover. And if you push yourself too hard..." She paused and smirked, "I'll probably punch you." She reached out then, her hand hovering near his, a silent offer of comfort if he chose to take it. "That said, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere until I know you're truly okay, alright?"

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah nodded. His concern was that the others found would make a full recovery. The Shadow had been down this road a few times in his times among the Jedi. He knew the road ahead of him would require rest and some time away from the action. He would not be joining the Jedi preparing to make a move on Tython. Valery had been clear she wanted the Dark Empire out of the core. His injuries would prevent him from it.

He grinned at her comment.

“You already know I am going to push myself hard. I already have a new arm being worked on. One that won’t shatter if it gets frozen.”

Valery likely had not heard that detail about his duel with the Empress. She likely had not even heard that he had faced the Echani. Judah wondered how much to tell her now anyway. There had been certain parts of that encounter which had given him things to think about. Over his career there had been certain truths he accepted as concrete. His mind had been much more flexible and open when he was younger. It was the reason he became a shadow. Judah did not always follow the rules, not even now. Life was flexible, it had to be. Rigid things broke.

He was quiet for a moment, and just nodded when Valery promised to stay. Judah knew she had others to visit, rounds to make. The Grandmaster did not have time to play favorites, and yet, here she was. The shadow reached across his body with his left hand and took hers briefly. A small squeeze was the only sign of affection he gave before letting go and laying back against the pillow.

“I have been hurt before. This is not the first time a Sith has taken a limb from me before, but I appreciate it.”

His eyes looked tired, but that was only because the recovery was an exhausting process. He seemed to perk up with company, so having a friend was enough medicine for the moment.

“You seem mostly unscathed? Are you okay?”

His gaze asked something else. He wasn’t really sure what it was, but it was something deeper than whether she was injured or not. Judah was just glad he did not lose any more friends in this conflict. War was taking them more and more. The shadow would not have been able to handle another so soon after Romi Jade .

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched him closely, her eyes reflecting both relief and lingering concern as he spoke. It was clear that his focus was on recovery and that he was trying to maintain his strength, but she knew just how heavy the weight of a recent battle could be — especially against someone as dangerous as the Empress.

A small smile tugged at her lips at the mention of his new arm. "I know you're going to push yourself, Judah. I'd be more surprised if you didn't." She paused, her gaze softening as she leaned in slightly, "Just... don't rush the recovery." Too often, Jedi pushed themselves back into action before they were truly ready for it, and she hoped he wouldn't take that risk.

When his hand briefly took hers, Valery gave it a gentle squeeze in return, her touch light but full of reassurance. "I hadn't heard all the details about what happened, but I know how much it takes to face an opponent like that and still come back. I'm just glad you're here," she murmured, letting the silence stretch between them for a moment, filled with unspoken support.

As Judah shifted the conversation to her, Valery chuckled softly, the sound warm but a little weary. "Me? I'm okay." She paused, searching for the right words, then met his gaze with a touch more seriousness. "Physically, I came out mostly unscathed. But I'm a little worried about how surrounded we are by enemies or even potential foes."

Her eyes held his, a deep understanding of the losses and challenges they had both faced clear in her expression. "But what matters is that we're all still here, still fighting. And we're not alone in that." She offered a small, hopeful smile. "If you need me, I'm here. No matter what."

With a playful glint in her eyes, she added softly, "Even if I have to drag you out or back into your recovery bed to remind you of that."

Judah Lesan ​